PRESS RELEASE

City of Long Beach Public Information Office333 W. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802

4/12/2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress Release # CM:041217

Subject:

Long Beach Reaches Class Action Settlement for ADA Improvements

Contact:

Craig Beck
Department of Public Works
562.570.6771
Craig.Beck@longbeach.gov

The City of Long Beach has reached a class action settlement agreement to make sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pedestrian pathways safer and more accessible for the disability community. The settlement was preliminarily approved by Judge Dale Fischer on Monday, April 10, 2017.

“I am happy a settlement has been reached and am eager to move forward and continue the good work Public Works does on a daily basis,” said Craig Beck, Director of Public Works. “The results of this settlement will ultimately give our Department a better understanding of where the City’s public right-of-ways are deficient and a road map to fix them.”

Under this agreement, the City will address a number of accessibility issues including:

The construction of up to 4,500 missing curb ramps within the next five years.

Retrofitting up to 16,000 existing curb ramps that are damaged and are not in compliance with relevant accessibility standards.

Remediation of up to $125 million in repairs for inaccessible sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pedestrian facilities over the next 30 years.

Continuation of the Access Request Program, allocating approximately $5 million over 10 years to repair pedestrian barriers specifically reported by the disability community.

To assist with identifying priorities, the City will assess the existing conditions of roughly 1,160 miles of sidewalks throughout the City. This assessment will identify missing and non-compliant curb ramps, path of travel obstacles, and general sidewalk conditions. The assessment is estimated for completion in early 2018.

Activities associated with this work will be coordinated through the City’s ADA/Title VI Coordinator. The Citizens Advisory Committee on Disabilities will be involved in the process as it moves into the community input phase.